[ropeParticipant]

I saw something like this on one of the mainstream sports sites and thought I would throw it out to the crowd. What would be your preferred set of rules for entry into the NBA? Realize in this we have to remember that the NCAA has almost no say in this and the NBA Players Union has a lot.

I am pretty much a free trade guy, so I would encourage the league to do something like this:

– Allow entry of any player who has graduatated or is one year removed from HS

– Grow the NBDL into a league in which each team has an affiliate

– First round picks make first round money, no matter where they play

– Second round picks make conditional money, based on where they play

– College players can enter at any point of their career (though it would be interesting if colleges set up a system that encouraged e3 or 4 year stays – they have the revenue).

– I don’t think a baseball-like system, where those who pick a university have a delayed track to the draft and those at JC’s can enter again in a year. I don’t think the Union is going to allow for a three year wait, even if it gets a path in for some players immediately after HS.

It is really too bad that a killer idea is not really on the table. In many soccer leagues the bottom couple of finishers in the standings don’t ge the first pick, they get sent to the minors and the top two from the minors move up. If teams had the possibility that the whole bunch of them might be playing in the D league the next year, that might put and end to tanking.

Wondered what you were thinking: open entry, one and done, two and zoom, or something else in between.

[chall23Participant]

I kind of like the idea of a "minor" league. I’d also like them to extend the draft a round or two. The more players drafted the more oppurtunity to make money. Players drafted later will be paid according to the league they get assigned. This is a great idea to find "diamond in the rough" type players and there isn’t much risk involved for the teams. It would help revenue of the D-League (assuming that’s the minor league that they initially use) because much like baseball fans, they can follow their favorite teams prospects. 

[chall23Participant]

I kind of like the idea of a "minor" league. I’d also like them to extend the draft a round or two. The more players drafted the more oppurtunity to make money. Players drafted later will be paid according to the league they get assigned. This is a great idea to find "diamond in the rough" type players and there isn’t much risk involved for the teams. It would help revenue of the D-League (assuming that’s the minor league that they initially use) because much like baseball fans, they can follow their favorite teams prospects. 

[King CaluchaParticipant]

I don’t think a relegation/promotion system is compatible with a draft system. I don’t think everything is flawed, the NBA just needs small changes like: including less teams in the lotto, tweaking probabilities and stuff like that.

[King CaluchaParticipant]

I don’t think a relegation/promotion system is compatible with a draft system. I don’t think everything is flawed, the NBA just needs small changes like: including less teams in the lotto, tweaking probabilities and stuff like that.

[FearTheStacheParticipant]

 I think they should incentivize staying in college. Like if a one-and-done player was only allowed a long term, relatively low pay contract. Conversely, players that stay 4 years would have no limit on their contract, encouraging star players to stay in school because they can get a max or close to max contract right away. Sophomores and juniors would be allowed increasingly appealing conracts.

[barbabodomParticipant]

I think this can be a solution, but with limits. Maybe something like a progressive raise: players who enter after 1 year in college receive 80% of the rookie salary, after 2 years 90%, after 3 year 100% and after 4 years 120%, or something like that

[FearTheStacheParticipant]

I like that too. Basically any system that allows you more money the longer you stay in school. You could also implement a non-guaranteed contract for one and doners.

[nath09Participant]

It does seem like a good idea and perhaps the rookie scale contracts could be relevant to the one year removed rule. The issue with any system of this kind is that the one and done players may end up being more attractive souly placed on the basis of salary cap. Thus meaning theat seniors are agian being overlooked not only for potential ceilings but now for cap reasons as well.

But as I say, I do like the stay in school incentive and in the long run it will benefit peoples lives outside of basketball and also give recruiters a bigger sample size to judge a recruit.

  

[nath09Participant]

It does seem like a good idea and perhaps the rookie scale contracts could be relevant to the one year removed rule. The issue with any system of this kind is that the one and done players may end up being more attractive souly placed on the basis of salary cap. Thus meaning theat seniors are agian being overlooked not only for potential ceilings but now for cap reasons as well.

But as I say, I do like the stay in school incentive and in the long run it will benefit peoples lives outside of basketball and also give recruiters a bigger sample size to judge a recruit.

  

[barbabodomParticipant]

I see what you´re saying and agree at certain point. But let´s not forget that today the teams can offer anything from 80 to 120% of the rookie salary scale and is pretty standard that teams offer their rookies the 120% salarie. Maybe an option would be to have this progressive increase in the earnings for the rookies, but no effect in the cap room. 

[barbabodomParticipant]

I see what you´re saying and agree at certain point. But let´s not forget that today the teams can offer anything from 80 to 120% of the rookie salary scale and is pretty standard that teams offer their rookies the 120% salarie. Maybe an option would be to have this progressive increase in the earnings for the rookies, but no effect in the cap room. 

[FearTheStacheParticipant]

I like that too. Basically any system that allows you more money the longer you stay in school. You could also implement a non-guaranteed contract for one and doners.

[barbabodomParticipant]

I think this can be a solution, but with limits. Maybe something like a progressive raise: players who enter after 1 year in college receive 80% of the rookie salary, after 2 years 90%, after 3 year 100% and after 4 years 120%, or something like that

[FearTheStacheParticipant]

 I think they should incentivize staying in college. Like if a one-and-done player was only allowed a long term, relatively low pay contract. Conversely, players that stay 4 years would have no limit on their contract, encouraging star players to stay in school because they can get a max or close to max contract right away. Sophomores and juniors would be allowed increasingly appealing conracts.

[Toronto16Participant]

 There should be 30 D-League teams each privately owned by an NBA team.  Teams can then draft players out of high school and keep them in their minor league system.  Players could then earn money off the court to help their families, plus have a reduced salary until they are called up by the big club. This would increase attendance at D-League games as well as creating opportunities for more scholarships for kids who aren’t good enough to go straight to the pros out of high school.

[Toronto16Participant]

 There should be 30 D-League teams each privately owned by an NBA team.  Teams can then draft players out of high school and keep them in their minor league system.  Players could then earn money off the court to help their families, plus have a reduced salary until they are called up by the big club. This would increase attendance at D-League games as well as creating opportunities for more scholarships for kids who aren’t good enough to go straight to the pros out of high school.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Allow high schoolers to get drafted.  But, they can go back to school.  Allow any kid to get drafted but they have the option of going back to college.  The NBA team would have their rights for a maximum of five years.  THEN they get paid by the NBA team when they leave school.

I would bring back the ABA (buy out the newest version of it) and expand to 30 teams with it being geared towards the young players.  Each NBA team would have an ABA affiliate.  I would even bring back some classic ABA teams like the Kentucky Colonels and the Virginia Squires.  I would go with bigger cities for the new ABA like Seattle, Vancouver, BC, St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbus, OH, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Jacksonville, FL.

The "new" ABA would have a four point line and an expanded court.  I would make in more like international ball with four 10 minute quarters.  Then I would do 3 minute overtimes. 

I would have opening night in Madison Square Garden with the ABA All Star game always being in Las Vegas.  … I would also play some games in Hawaii (Christmas games?).

Expand the NBA draft to 4 rounds.

After that, I would do a two round territorial draft for the ABA teams so they can get good local guys to help build the franchises.

Market the ABA as a younger, exciting version of the NBA.  Bump up the salaries too, from present D League salaries. 

I would keep the D League around as basically a second tier minor league.  I would turn it into a summer league basically run by the NBA with different coaching and things.  Coaching fundamentals and defense, to make the overall league talent better.  I would pattern it after TEAM USA and how it runs things now as a continual basketball organization. 

Run the D League from the middle of July to the middle of October.  I would keep D League teams in small market towns then do a single elimination tournament in Las Vegas to determine the D League champ. 

I would basically make the D League a "basketball school".  Before and after the D League season I would have basketball mini camps to narrow down D League rosters and for guys to work on their games. 

A D League summer league would allow guys to play in an NBA structure then after the season they could go to NBA training camps (or to the NBA summer league team during the D League season) or on over to Europe.  So, yeah, it would basically be summer school. 

You could do the D League All Star Game AFTER the season (in late October) to give guys some exposure so they could get a shot at the NBA (or the ABA). 

… so what an NBA team could do with a draft pick is put him on the NBA summer league team (Orlando or Las Vegas) then send him to the D League for their summer league.  Then once the D League summer league is over with they can make a run at the main club in training camp, and if that doesn’t work out they get assigned to the ABA team.  … I guess that would be a long year, so I would think of just doing games twice a week in the D League (more practice time).  So you play every team once or twice, then go over to Las Vegas for a single elimination tournament.

I would try to have 12 to 14 D League teams with an 8 team playoff.  I would even contemplate having a mini-season starting in December or January with the championship during the NBA All Star Weekend.  The mini-season would be for guys who don’t sign on with a European team or for guys who don’t get full time NBA or ABA call ups.  So basically, the rest of the regular season D League rosters along with other pros who get sent down for more seasoning.  I would run the mini-season like the World Cup or something.  Some pool play games (3 or so) followed by single elimination games.  So basically the D League would have games from mid July to the end of October, then from late December to mid February. 

[ropeParticipant]

The only thing I might say is that it is up to the NCAA if an athlete can retain college eligibility, not the NBA.

[ropeParticipant]

The only thing I might say is that it is up to the NCAA if an athlete can retain college eligibility, not the NBA.

[i’m jus so offendedParticipant]

Strong start but you lost me pretty quickly. For one, St Louisans have enough to worry about and would definitely not support any kind of professional basketball team. Shoot, they were in the lower tier of attendence for their NHL team that made the playoffs and was a title contender!

[i’m jus so offendedParticipant]

Strong start but you lost me pretty quickly. For one, St Louisans have enough to worry about and would definitely not support any kind of professional basketball team. Shoot, they were in the lower tier of attendence for their NHL team that made the playoffs and was a title contender!

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Allow high schoolers to get drafted.  But, they can go back to school.  Allow any kid to get drafted but they have the option of going back to college.  The NBA team would have their rights for a maximum of five years.  THEN they get paid by the NBA team when they leave school.

I would bring back the ABA (buy out the newest version of it) and expand to 30 teams with it being geared towards the young players.  Each NBA team would have an ABA affiliate.  I would even bring back some classic ABA teams like the Kentucky Colonels and the Virginia Squires.  I would go with bigger cities for the new ABA like Seattle, Vancouver, BC, St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbus, OH, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Jacksonville, FL.

The "new" ABA would have a four point line and an expanded court.  I would make in more like international ball with four 10 minute quarters.  Then I would do 3 minute overtimes. 

I would have opening night in Madison Square Garden with the ABA All Star game always being in Las Vegas.  … I would also play some games in Hawaii (Christmas games?).

Expand the NBA draft to 4 rounds.

After that, I would do a two round territorial draft for the ABA teams so they can get good local guys to help build the franchises.

Market the ABA as a younger, exciting version of the NBA.  Bump up the salaries too, from present D League salaries. 

I would keep the D League around as basically a second tier minor league.  I would turn it into a summer league basically run by the NBA with different coaching and things.  Coaching fundamentals and defense, to make the overall league talent better.  I would pattern it after TEAM USA and how it runs things now as a continual basketball organization. 

Run the D League from the middle of July to the middle of October.  I would keep D League teams in small market towns then do a single elimination tournament in Las Vegas to determine the D League champ. 

I would basically make the D League a "basketball school".  Before and after the D League season I would have basketball mini camps to narrow down D League rosters and for guys to work on their games. 

A D League summer league would allow guys to play in an NBA structure then after the season they could go to NBA training camps (or to the NBA summer league team during the D League season) or on over to Europe.  So, yeah, it would basically be summer school. 

You could do the D League All Star Game AFTER the season (in late October) to give guys some exposure so they could get a shot at the NBA (or the ABA). 

… so what an NBA team could do with a draft pick is put him on the NBA summer league team (Orlando or Las Vegas) then send him to the D League for their summer league.  Then once the D League summer league is over with they can make a run at the main club in training camp, and if that doesn’t work out they get assigned to the ABA team.  … I guess that would be a long year, so I would think of just doing games twice a week in the D League (more practice time).  So you play every team once or twice, then go over to Las Vegas for a single elimination tournament.

I would try to have 12 to 14 D League teams with an 8 team playoff.  I would even contemplate having a mini-season starting in December or January with the championship during the NBA All Star Weekend.  The mini-season would be for guys who don’t sign on with a European team or for guys who don’t get full time NBA or ABA call ups.  So basically, the rest of the regular season D League rosters along with other pros who get sent down for more seasoning.  I would run the mini-season like the World Cup or something.  Some pool play games (3 or so) followed by single elimination games.  So basically the D League would have games from mid July to the end of October, then from late December to mid February. 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

… the NBA should look at minor league baseball to see how they make money.  The minor league teams have a lot of independence in how they operate and market their product.

Offended, the Redbirds are the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and I think the Cardinals actually bought us, but I don’t know much about minor league baseball.

Right now, the D League doesn’t strike me as a league that sells a bunch of tickets.

I think better marketing would help.  Bringing back the ABA would help.  Maybe 50 games or 64 games instead of 82.  Shorter games, a 4 point line, and wider courts for more fluid play would help I think. 

The ABA would be a different product, a younger league, and if they go to bigger cities I think attendance would be better if the product on the court was exciting. 

Then I would pattern the current D League on Team USA.  Make it a summer thing with lots of coaching and instruction.  Hire a full time staff and support group to train the young guys, either top draft picks, second rounders, or guys just fighting to make either the NBA or the ABA.  Let the league basically run it.  Each NBA guys can send guys their for the summer, or call them up after the season ends.  I would think about basing it out of full time NBA basketball academies.  I would do three of four full time places: NYC or somewhere on the East Coast, Florida, Chicago and somewhere out West (Las Vegas or Southern California).  Call it the NBA Developmental School.  Even vets could go there after the season to work out or go through some drills.  Coaches and refs could also learn there.  I would try to get about 10 to 14 D League teams.  If it gets popular then they could expand it to 30 D League teams with each NBA team having its own D League team (as well as an ABA team).  … a summer D League would help guys who now play in Europe but want to get some schooling from the NBA.  They can do the Summer D League thing and then go back overseas in the fall. 

The summer league would be for DEVELOPMENT (mainly for younger guys but available to ALL of the players), and the ABA would be the TRUE minor league system. 

They could also work something out with the NCAA where guys could do some clinics and things in the summer at the D League Schools. 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

… the NBA should look at minor league baseball to see how they make money.  The minor league teams have a lot of independence in how they operate and market their product.

Offended, the Redbirds are the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and I think the Cardinals actually bought us, but I don’t know much about minor league baseball.

Right now, the D League doesn’t strike me as a league that sells a bunch of tickets.

I think better marketing would help.  Bringing back the ABA would help.  Maybe 50 games or 64 games instead of 82.  Shorter games, a 4 point line, and wider courts for more fluid play would help I think. 

The ABA would be a different product, a younger league, and if they go to bigger cities I think attendance would be better if the product on the court was exciting. 

Then I would pattern the current D League on Team USA.  Make it a summer thing with lots of coaching and instruction.  Hire a full time staff and support group to train the young guys, either top draft picks, second rounders, or guys just fighting to make either the NBA or the ABA.  Let the league basically run it.  Each NBA guys can send guys their for the summer, or call them up after the season ends.  I would think about basing it out of full time NBA basketball academies.  I would do three of four full time places: NYC or somewhere on the East Coast, Florida, Chicago and somewhere out West (Las Vegas or Southern California).  Call it the NBA Developmental School.  Even vets could go there after the season to work out or go through some drills.  Coaches and refs could also learn there.  I would try to get about 10 to 14 D League teams.  If it gets popular then they could expand it to 30 D League teams with each NBA team having its own D League team (as well as an ABA team).  … a summer D League would help guys who now play in Europe but want to get some schooling from the NBA.  They can do the Summer D League thing and then go back overseas in the fall. 

The summer league would be for DEVELOPMENT (mainly for younger guys but available to ALL of the players), and the ABA would be the TRUE minor league system. 

They could also work something out with the NCAA where guys could do some clinics and things in the summer at the D League Schools. 

[phila9012Participant]

 I dont know how this would work, but they should make it easier/find a way to get more guys on their hometown teamsThe players would be happier in their hometowns and you could see more situations like Derrick Rose in Chicago, Lebron in Cleveland. I think that would be better for the NBA. I don’t really know how to make it happen or how to go about it. But it is something that would help make the bonds between their fans and the players a lot stronger.

[phila9012Participant]

 I dont know how this would work, but they should make it easier/find a way to get more guys on their hometown teamsThe players would be happier in their hometowns and you could see more situations like Derrick Rose in Chicago, Lebron in Cleveland. I think that would be better for the NBA. I don’t really know how to make it happen or how to go about it. But it is something that would help make the bonds between their fans and the players a lot stronger.

[Author]

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